It’s gone, but not out of the building.

Stephen Pearcy’s artwork, “T’anks to Mr. Bush,” which depicts a stylized form of the American flag being flushed into a toilet, was relocated elsewhere in the attorney general’s office. The painting, which was part of an exhibit sponsored by the California Lawyers for the Arts, was a heated point of controversy—inspiring hundreds to protest Pearcy’s political message. Move America Forward organized a counter art exhibit, “I Love America,” which displayed a variety of patriotic artwork.

The controversy made national headlines; MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough cited SacUnion.com for breaking the story.

Representatives for Attorney General Bill Lockyer said the move was due to events occurring in the Middle East. In addition to Pearcy’s painting, Lockyer’s staff relocated two other pieces from the exhibit, moving them to the top floor of the attorney general’s office.

The paintings will remain in their new location through the end of the exhibit, Aug. 31.

Pearcy, an anti-war activist who made headlines after hanging an effigy of a U.S. solider from his Land Park home, has announced he will organize a rally demanding the restoration of his work.

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